William
B. MooreBorn: 1822 in Allegheny, Pa
Died: October 13, 1864 at Burkes Station, Va
On September 2, 1864 at the age of 42, William enrolled in the 6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery/212th PA in Allegheny City, Pa. He enlisted for one year and was given the rank of private, plus a bounty of $100.00. Only $33.33 was received at the time of enrollment and the remaining $66.66 was outstanding. The enrollment papers show he was 5' 6" in height, brown hair, hazel eyes and a fair complexion. His occupation was an engineer.
William was placed in Captain Robert H. Long's Company L., but shortly after the formation of the unit Capt. Long was promoted to major. Captain David Cornelius was then placed in charge of the company. The unit arrived in Washington around September 17th and was assigned to the Second Brigade of DeRussy's Division. On the 29th, the regiment was detached from the division, and ordered to duty in guarding the portion off the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, lying between Alexandria and Manassas, VA.
The following is an excerpt from the unit history from The History of Pennsylvania Volunteers by Samuel Bates, "Over this road, supplies for Sheridan's army were transported, and the regiment was charged with keeping open the part entrusted to it. It was an enemy's country, and infested with roving bands, military and civilian upon occasion, and to guard against surprise, and to be at all points superior to an attacking force, requiring incessant watchfulness and skill in the disposition and handling of the guards. Colonel Barnes was an experienced infantry officer, having served in the Ninth Reserve, and nearly all of both officers and men had been previously in the army. The discipline, which had thus been acquired, now served a most important purpose; for it was only by the strictest attention to duty, and the exercise of sound discretion, that the wily and watchful enemy could be kept at bay. To go outside the lines, was almost certain death. On one occasion, three soldiers who had chanced thus to go, were fired upon by parties in ambush, and wounded, when, rushing up from their covert, the inhuman wretches stood with pistols in hand, over the bodies of the victims weltering in their blood, and fired into their breasts until they were quite dead".
In October 1879 Captain David Cornelius recounted the incident for a pension affidavit, "The soldiers were sent on some errand to a farm house about a quarter of a mile from the post, at woodpile and within our lines and as they were returning was fired upon from the underbrush. Two were killed and one was wounded."
William Moore was one of two men killed at Burkes Station. In his military records are two items, the Company Muster-out roll and the Company Muster Roll. Each one has unique remarks about his demise. The Company Muster-out Roll states, "Murdered by guerrillas near Burkes Station Orange and Alexandria R.R., Oct. 13, 1864". A Company Muster Roll has the most flourished statement, "Assassinated near Burkes Station by Bushwhackers, Oct 12, 1864".
William was returned to his hometown of Allegheny City, PA sometime after the attack. There is nothing in his records that indicate the body being sent back to Pennsylvania. His grave has been identified in Uniondale Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is buried a side of his wife Mary in lot 15, range 6, section H, division 2.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Moore, William B: Pension Records from the National Archives
Moore, Henry G: Pension Records from the National Archives
Bates, Samuel: History of Pennsylvania Volunteers, Vol. X